Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Cody Bottoms Mr. James Bailey ERH-211X-03 3 May 2015 Help received: Spell Check ERH-211X-03 Reflective Essay Comparative Religions has allowed me to explore the religions of the world in a great amount of detail that I have never looked into before. In this class I have explored religions that include Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All of these religions have opened my eyes up to the possibilities and viewpoints that people of other cultures hold, and such it I now easier to understand them and know why they think what they do and act how they do. It has come to my attention as well that all of the religions have a moral code that they are inclined to follow regardless of which religion they come from, and these moral codes all support having a semblance of balance and order. The moral codes of these religions seem to be the force that holds the population of followers together and maintains order. Through looking at a film on Hindu monk life on a show called “Around the World in 80 Faiths” and doing a short report on the monastic life of Buddhist monks I gained great insight into the lives of these monks and how much dedication they put into their lives and the respect they garner from their communities as well. First, it is important to note the codes that help to guide their actions and lives. To go through all of the religions’ codes, Hinduism has the Dharma, Buddhism has the Eight-Fold Path to follow, Confucianism has their five humanistic values, Daoism has “The Way” and balance, Judaism has the Ten Commandments along with Christianity, and the Islamic religion follows what is known as Sharia Law. I observed through class and reading of the textbook, God is Not One, that all of these religions regardless of deity structure or other beliefs that all of the religions based all of their actions on a moral code to follow. The Hindu Dharma structure is actually represented in a few forms of religion and is a universally oriented code of living that dictates virtues, conduct, rights, laws, etc. The Buddhist tradition bases many things off of its sibling religion, Hinduism, and this is where we get the Eight-Fold Path. The EightFold path is my favorite moral code as it is the most in-depth and workable of the codes. The Eight-Fold Path consists of having the right view or vision, having the right conduct to those around you and yourself, having the right speech i.e. not harmful, having right action, having right livelihood that is morally good, having right effort which is pacing diligence in the right areas of one’s life, having right mindfulness and being open to learn new things, and lastly having right concentration to filter your life. Next, Confucianism holds its Humanistic values of Ren or humanness, Yi or justice, Li or proper rite, Zhi or knowledge, and Xin or integrity. The Daoist religion has “The Way” which is essentially action through inaction and it is used to maintain balance. The Ten Commandments that are shared between Judaism and Christianity are a, quite literally set in stone, guide to live one’s life by: they are very clear and get straight to bread and butter. The Ten Commandments are as follows: You shall have no other gods before me, you shall not make idols, you shall not take the name of the lord in vain, remember the Sabbath day, honor your father and mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, you shall not covet. The Ten Commandments are essential to the moral strength of both Judaism and Christianity. Lastly, Islam holds on to Sharia Law for their standards and this deals with almost every aspect of Muslim life. These codes are important to the followers of the religions, but even more so to the monks, priests, rabbis, etc. of the religions. Some of the most dedicated people in a faith are the holy advisors of that faith, and I learned just to what extent they lived these codes out in their lives through research I did for a report and class presentation on both Hindu monks and Buddhist monks. They base literally every part of their day on fulfilling the will of these codes and their god or gods and more often than not give up all of their worldly possessions to do this. These monks lived and breathed their religion. Monks of the Hindu faiths often would go on pilgrimages into the mountains to live alone for long periods of time just so that they could meditate on things and develop themselves. Hindu and Buddhist monks often fast as well to purify their bodies and make an offering In conclusion, this comparative religions class has given me a much deepened perspective on world religions and a greater appreciation for the ideas of other peoples and religions in general. It has shown me the values held by all of the religions we have studied shown that sometimes the most important seeming aspect besides the god or gods of the religion is the moral code that comes with the religion and how people live according to that code. Comparative religions has given a much broader and deeper understanding of the studied religions and how they work. Works Cited Class notes Class presentations (found on E-Portfolio) Hinduonline.co/HinduReligion/AllAboutHinduism3.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV7P533M3DO Prothero, Stephen. God is Not One. New York: Harper Collins, 2010. Print.